Free rides for medical frontliners in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — Healthcare workers are entitled to free rides from buses and modern public utility jeepneys accredited by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

LTFRB-7 director Eduardo Montealto said the free ride for medical frontliners is part of the Service Contracting Program mandated by the Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act.

“This program started in the last week of February 2021. Dili pa nako maihap pila na ka mga healthcare workers ang naka avail. On-going pa karon ang among system monitoring,” Montealto told The Freeman yesterday.

To avail of the free ride, a medical frontliner has to present his or her identification card.

According to Montealto, around 500 buses and 200 to 300 units of modern public utility jeepneys will be accredited for the program. At present, 73 bus units were already accredited and are giving free rides to medical frontliners in Cebu. The others, especially the modern PUJs, are still processing their accreditation requirements.

Under the Service Contracting Program, a public utility driver will be paid by the government through the Department of Transportation (DOTr) an incentive of P23.10 per kilometer for a maximum of 50 kilometers travelled per day. The incentive will serve as additional income for the drivers during this pandemic.

The program is valid until April 30, 2021 but Montealto is expecting the DOTr to extend it beyond April.

Aside from the drivers, the operators are also given P6,500 each as direct cash subsidy from the government. Montealto said around 500 operators in Cebu have already availed of the subsidy. —FPL (FREEMAN)